Mesteren's Group - CLOSED (Page 6)

Niezels: 100km, nice, 2 flats, not so much... Reading this really reminds me I need to get down to the Giant bike shop for my lesson on changing a flat.  I know the basics, but would like to try a couple times with supervision before I have to do it on the road some time... Also, I suppose in order to do that I'll need to buy all the equipment to do it as well...

Joel: 10km, 62:20.... Nicely done.  That's a very respectable time.  Too bad about the bathroom break, but just think how much easier it will be to PR the next 10km race.

Mesteren:  Good luck on Sunday!!!

My legs are recovering well after my first 10k and I am getting more and more confident in my running and biking legs of my first tri in july. Thanks to duncan, neizels, rebecca and of course menstren for all the congrats i got for the race.

Here is the thing. I am the world's worst swimmer. I am taking this swim class and have gone from swimming like a rock to finally able to have a freestyle stroke. Now that I have some decent form on my stroke and a good rhythm. I don't drink pool water anymore (i guess all those things are progress right?) I can't really swim more than 25 yards without stopping and catching my breath.

what gives?

Mesteren: Wow, bad karma on the 2 flats, but nice recovery.  Incredible to have the Lubo (?) luck, twice!

Joel:  I was having the same problem with the swim, having to rest at 25m.  I found that if I tried to swim as slow as possible, I actually could swim 440m without stopping.  My time was about the same initially, but I had no stops to catch my breath.  Now my times are improving and I've dropped a minute off that distance.   I focus on only minimal kicking action and long slow strokes, pressing my upper body into the water.  HTH, let me know if you have questions.

Monica:  Thanks for sharing your tri experience.  I love hearing what things first timers run into as I'll be in the same boat some day.  BTW, I a couple of days at Isla Verde beach in Feb 2010 and loved it. Nice warm water!  Good job on race!

Christi

I saw a beaver run accross the road on my run. I think he was slower then I was. I truly hope so

Monica,

Wow on your race. It sounds like a really solid performance with some great intelligence like getting a proper lane to swim in. And finishing in the middle of your age group is very good for a first tri.

In regard to progress of swimming. I'm have the same story: Starting as a solid brick in the water to evolve to some floating device capable of staying alive propelling forward for 500m. I still feel like a poor swimmer who is just able to survive that part of a tri.

Though there is some much room for improvement we ppor swimmers should not forget how big the steps are we already made. Going from solid rock to 25m is huge.

Finally relaxing seems to be the key for me as well. I have peace with my current pace. And doing this part during the race is all about saving as much energy as possible so I can give it a real kick on the bike. Let's see how this plan will work in 2 weeks.

I just figured out that I'm getting addicted to training. Which is a complete new thing for me. I used to be all race/game focussed in all the previous sports I did. But coming close to race day (2 weeks from now) I'm getting mixed feelings. I really want to do the race and I'm more then ready. However I'm bummed about the fact that I will have to decrease my training effort during the week before and after it.

Hey everyone... wow.  I've been really busy at work and home.  I completely missed any sort of training on Tues, Wed and Thurs.  Today, i forced myself to squeeze in a 10km run before leaving school.  Wife a little unimpressed with me, but she's already over it.

Mother's Day Weekend... whatcha all got planned?

I'm taking my wife and daughters out with friends for a brunch buffet tomorrow, and then taking wife, daughters, mother in law and brother in law out for a nice formal sit down lunch on Sunday.  Other than that, not much.

Duncan,

I'm just about to pack to leave for mom (she lives a 2h1/2 away from here. Gonna stay over there for 2 nights. I have been thinking about making something out of clay for her. But I guess I'm to old for that now.

Just had a whoooop whoooop moment during my swim training at the gym. I discovered we now have a swimtrainer over there that wants to form a group to start of a weekly training session in the pool. In the meanwhile he gave me some great tips. It seemed I was wasting a lot of energy by not laying flat in the water. So with some corrections I increased quit a bit in speed and even more in using less power to do so. Sweet.

To illustrate the poorness of my technique before vs after. During a very nice excersize where I was only to kick while lying on my back and focussing on good breathing technique I was actually going faster then during my normal stroke. I guess I have a solid kick afterall.

Happy weekend all. And don't forget to give all the mams a sweet kiss. They deserve it (every weekend/day)

That's awesome about the swimming Niezels!

I guess I forgot to mention my mother... well, she lives in Eastern Canada, and I live in Taiwan... so face to face ain't gonna happen.  We'll be Skypeing for sure, (We usually do at least once a week) so that will just have to do.   On a good note, my brother and his girlfriend arrive in Taiwan in less than 3 weeks.  They'll be staying for a year to teach!

I like triathletes that remember their mamas!

My mother lives in far. in alaska in fact and ill be doing some skyping myself.

I did exactly what christi told me to do and followed the advice of everyone. I was quickly able to double my swim distance. I swam today 50m without stopping!

Thanks for all the help. Not sure what I would do without you guys.

Hurray for me! I finished and didn't humiliate myself.

I wrote it up in my log, which I'll copy to a race report when I have the official times. Highlights:

• it was sunny in Seward, Alaska, which happens about twice a year. Gorgeous race day, warm, eagles floating around in thermals right over the starting line. Alaska is the most amazing place sometimes.
• It was hilly. Really, really hilly.
• I had an excellent (for me) swimtime of 16:50 for 900 - under 2:00/100, which I've never done before - and about a minute and a half faster.
• I had an excellent run in spite of the hills, with another personal best at about 10:20/mile. (32:01)
• The bike was the most unexpected thing. I almost wiped out once on one of the 90-degree turns from pavement to gravel in spite of my trusty Cannondale's best efforts. I didn't though. It was twisty, turny, uphill, downhill...whuf.
• Total time was 1:18:06

Great day! What fun I had, and I am so very proud of myself!

Mother's day was awesome!  I treated myself to a 28 mile bike ride in 25mph wind  then went to the LBS to stock up on gels and a new water bottle.  A little later my son & my husband took me for a short hike through some trails near our house, then we went home to get the dogs & back up to the lake for a walk.  I'm exhausted, but it was a great day! 

I have to say, as much as I hate being on the trainer I think my time on it has paid off.  I noticed yesterday that I didn't struggle as much as I usually do in the wind.  For me, battling the wind is very mentally defeating.  Normally, after about 4 or 5 miles of the wind blowing me around, the negative self talk starts in and by the time I'm finished with my ride I'm exhausted and pretty disappointed in my ride.  I just kept telling myself yesterday.....as tough as it is riding in this wind, at least I'm not stuck inside on the trainer.  Apparently it worked, I felt great when I was done.....both mental & physical.